Il Cielo Sfolgorante
by brabbit1029
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi died. He had hiding things that not even his faithful guardians could understand. Two years later, the Vongola Guardians meet the mysterious Corvo Famiglia, a shadow family that has little affiliations with others. The Don of Corvo seems particularly strange, but is he really the boss? Soon, the guardians discover exactly why their sky was taken away from them.
1. Prologue

**Hey people! Just a heads-up, I actually am pretty new to this anime and don't know a lot about it, so please correct me if any of my info is wrong. **

* * *

_The sky has darkened._

It was dark. Thick clouds filled the sky, pouring torrents of rain across the land. A low rumble of thunder sounded, followed by a harsh clap of lightning that lit the sky for a second, revealing the events taking place below.

Beneath the horrible sky was an even darker scene. Limp, lifeless bodies were piled on top of one another, crimson liquid dripping down their stone-still forms. Bruised and bloody, it was evident that they had fought hard till their last moments.

The ground was drenched with the victims' blood like blotches of paint, mixing with the drizzling rain. Shadows danced across the field where the bodies laid, giving the image an even more ominous feel.

And standing amid the world of death was a single figure, standing motionlessly in the middle of it all. He seemed to not notice the rain soaking through his dark cloak and clothes, dripping down his face like tears, wetting his skin and red headphones over his ears. His arms hung limply at his sides, fiery gloved hands covered with blood. But that blood didn't belong to him. He wasn't injured, at least physically. Red blotches stained his dark clothes, and streaks of the scarlet color donned his face. His head was tilted backwards, letting the rain trail down his neck. He seemed to be gazing at the lifeless sky, his eyes shadowed by his long bangs.

_The sky has been corrupted._

"J-Jyuudaime?"

An audible grunt of surprise escaped the bloody boy's lips. He seemed startled and turned his head around slightly. Standing behind him were a group of six teens and a baby, eyes wide and filled with a mixture of horror and fear. They were the seven guardians of Vongola Decimo, the tenth boss of the Vongola family, and his home tutor, the Sun Arcobaleno.

Their boss, Sawada Tsunayoshi, glanced over his shoulder. His Dying Will Flame flickered on his forehead, the flames igniting his bloody fists. His amber eyes seemed distant and regarded his subordinates coldly.

"Everyone...?"

"Jyuudaime!" Decimo's right-hand man, Gokudera, cried out. He noted the dead bodies with a pained, desperate look. _"No...it can't be...!"_ "What's going on?!"

Tsuna was silent. Something about the intimidating aura surrounding him sent shivers down his friends' spine.

"It seems we are too late." The normally apathetic Mist Guardian Rokudo Mukuro grimaced, heterochromatic eyes narrowing at the young boss. Chrome covered her mouth, eye's wide and beginning to tear up. "Boss...!" Her muffled voice shook behind her hand.

"Tsuna!" Yamamoto exclaimed, being uncharacteristically serious for once. "Those men...! Y-You didn't...kill them, did you?!"

Their boss didn't even flinch. It was like he was an entirely different person, not the kind, gentle, and clumsy Dame-Tsuna that they all knew.

_The sky is mysterious._

"It seems the herbivore has betrayed his natural laws." Hibari Kyoya smirked, but a hint of distraught, barely, could be seen in his eyes. The cruel and cold-hearted Cloud guardian actually seemed quite disturbed by the blood-soaked herbivore.

"How did you find me?" Tsuna ignored his guardians' previous comments.

"Byakuran informed us of your whereabouts." Reborn said calmly, though deep down he was also troubled. His student had never been true mafia-material. He had been one-hundred percent against killing. Though violence and mercilessness was what it meant to be mafia, Reborn still didn't like this new development in his student.

Tsuna clenched his teeth, slightly angered. "That bastard..."

"This is too extreme, Sawada!" Ryohei hollered, fists clenched. "Just stop, please!"

"Stop?" Tsuna turned to face his guardians fully, eyes darkening. His voice was threatening, no trace of it's old kindness apparent. "Stop what?"

"B-Boss!" Chrome's purple eyes wavered as she watched her boss with a mixture of concern and fear.

None of the guardians noticed Tsuna's expression darken.

"It seems you guys know nothing..." Tsuna mumbled.

Reborn's eyes narrowed at his comment. What did he mean?

_The sky is strong._

The rain was coming down harder, and the thunder was growing louder. The sky flashed as another bolt of lightning struck. The momentary light illuminated the young boy's impassive face. Tsuna lifted his head and glared at his guardians with a cold, murderous gaze that could pierce through stone, and declared in a menacing voice.

"If you wish for me to stop, then make me!"

_The sky has fallen._

* * *

**Brabbit1029: If you wanna leave reviews, then please do! But if they're bad ones, I'll bite you to death!**

**Tsuna: B-Brabbit-san!**

**Brabbit1029: Hahaha! I was only joking, Tsuna!**

**Tsuna: O-Oh...ok, then...**

**Brabbit1029: Or was I? Kufufufu...**

**Tsuna: What was that?**

**Brabbit1029: A-Ah, nothing! Ahahahaha!**

**Hibari: How dare you imitate me.**

**Tsuna: Hieeee! H-Hibari san!**

**Brabbit1029: Geh! Er, uh, sorry. Just...wanted to try it out...**

**Hibari: (holds up tonfas) Do it again and I'll bite you to death.**

**Brabbit1029: Hieeee! As expected, it sounds much cooler coming from the real deal!**

**Gokudera: Hey, you, stop fangirling!  
**

**Ryohei: Fangirling to the extreme!  
**

**Yamamoto: Hahahaha!  
**

**Mukuro: Kufufufu. Looks like my rival has an admirer.**

**Chrome: M-Mukuro-sama?**

**Hibari: Hmph.**

**Brabbit1029: A-Anyway, let's hope that the wonderful and totally merciful Hibari-sama doesn't bite me to death before the next chapter...ah, I-I'm really sorry, Hibari-san...um, why are you getting closer...with your tonfas...A-AHHHHHHH!**

**Tsuna: B-Brabbit-san!**

**Yamamoto: Hehe! See ya next chapter!  
**

**Gokudera: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT KIND OF MESSED UP ENDING-?! OI, HIBARI, WHY ARE YOU AFTER ME?! I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING-AHHHHHHH!**

* * *

_**"Jyuudaime...!**_

_**"Because that's what Tsuna would've wanted."**_

_**"We will have to move on, no matter what happens."**_

_**"Sorry, Tsuna."**_

_**Next Chapter: The Empty Sky**_


	2. The Empty Sky

"Yo, Gokudera!"

A tall, cheerful teen with spiky black hair made his way over to the grumpy white-haired boy strolling ahead. Yamamoto draped an arm over Gokudera's neck in a friendly gesture. "Ohayo!"

Gokudera scowled and shoved the Rain Guardian off of him. "Get off me, baseball freak!"

"As cold as usual, huh, Gokudera?" But Yamamoto still grinned, cheerful as always.

"And you piss me off as usual!" Said the Storm guardian. His eyes flashed angrily, and he looked ready to hit the laid-back Yamamoto. "How are you acting so calmly when today is...!"

He couldn't finish his sentence. For some reason, the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. They were stuck in his chest like a thorn, and it hurt. He lowered his head, long hair falling over his face.

_"Jyuudaime...!"_

"Because that's what Tsuna would've wanted."

Gokudera's eyes widened. He looked up at Yamamoto in surprise. The baseball freak was still smiling, but a sad, nostalgic feeling spread across his lips as he spoke softly. "He wouldn't want us to be depressed because of him. That'd just make him sad," Yamamoto grinned and tilted his head to the side, eyes closed. "right?"

"Baseball freak..." Gokudera said in awe. Normally, Yamamoto was laid-back and never seemed to understand when they were in a serious situation. At least, he acted like it. For him to display any sort of negative emotion was a pretty rare moment.

"He's extremely right!"

The two boys whirled around to find Sasagawa Ryohei, standing behind them, one fist pounded in the palm of his other hand.

"Turf Top!

"Being all depressed is extremely uncool!" Ryohei roared. "That isn't what Sawada would've wanted!"

Gokuedera's heart thumped as a certain memory resurfaced from the depths of his mind.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_"Gokudera-kun!"_

_The Italian-Japanese mixed Teen sat on a the edge of one of the clean white beds in the school infirmary. Standing before him was a short, fluffy-haired boy, his face filled with worry as he fretted over Gokudera's bandaged hand._

_"Does it hurt?" Tsuna asked in a frantic tone. Gokudera gave his boss an assuring smile. "Don't worry, Jyuudaime! This is nothing!"_

_Tsuna's eyes wavered. He lowered his head in shame. "I'm so sorry! If I hadn't tripped, you wouldn't have..."_

_"No, jyuudaime!" Gokudera quickly exclaimed. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me! I am supposed to be your right-hand man, yet I was barely able to protect you, even sustaining a pathetic injury from such an act that should be so simple..."_

_Why couldn't he be the perfect right-hand man? Why couldn't he protect his boss like he should? Was he a...failure?_

_"I'm not suitable to be your right-hand man!" Gokudera cried, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his fists._

_Tsuna looked up, eyes wide. "Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna watched as his Storm Guardian gritted his teeth, face twisted with frustration, unable to meet his boss' eyes._

_After a few moments, a small smile spread across Tsuna's face. He took a seat beside Gokudera on the edge of the bed and spoke firmly._

_"You're wrong, Gokudera-kun."_ _His tone was comforting yet strong. Gokudera responded to Tsuna's comment, looking up to see his boss smiling._

_"You are a great right-hand man." Tsuna confirmed._

_"But-!"_

_"You are." Tsuna cut Gokudera off before he cold finish his complaint. Warm brown eyes shimmering, Tsuna smiled._

_"But you're an even better friend."_

_His words clearly moved Gokudera. He actually seemed flustered, unable to find the right response. "Jyuudaime..."_

_"And since you're my friend," Tsuna continued. "I don't like it when you get hurt because of me."_

_It took Gokudera a few seconds for him to regain his composure. "It wasn't your fault!"_

_Tsuna shook his head. Gokudera was entranced by the calm, wise expression on his boss' face. When they had first met, the boy was awkward and tense. He had been clumsy and kind, but still strong and compassionate. Tsuna had grown over the period of time they had spent together; it was quite apparent to everyone, but it wasn't just his skills that had advanced._

_"You say you want to protect me, but I also want to protect you." Said Tsuna. "Everyone else, too."_

_Gokudera suddenly felt so lucky to have such a thoughtful boss. He always put others before himself and never thought twice about doing anything to protect his friends. He considered others' feelings and conditions as if his life depended on it._

_"Jyuudaime..." Gokudera felt his eyes water, but he held them back, not wanting to show any more of his weakness in front of his boss._

_"Ne, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna looked up at the white ceiling above him. "Do you think, maybe some day, you could just call me 'Tsuna'?"_

_"Th-That would be disrespectful-" Gokudera protested, but for some reason, the expression on the Tenth's face made it impossible for him to continue. He thought it over for a moment, then smiled and nodded._

_"I got it!" Gokudera beamed. "Some day, I'll definitely be able to call you by your name!"_

_Tsuna, eyes shining, nodded at his friend with a grin._

_**Flashback End**_

* * *

The memory lingered in his head. His eyes wavered, as if they were about to produce tears, but he quickly covered up his weakness with a click of his tongue. "Tch!" Gokudera snarled and looked away. "I don't need any comfort from you bastards!"

Over the years, they had become used to Gokudera's harsh words. The two smiled, satisfied.

"I do not appreciate loiterers in the halls." A threatening voice scolded from the shadows.

"Oh, Hibari!" Ryohei greeted the figure lurking in the dark. Hibari Kyoya stepped forward, almost as if appearing from nowhere, wearing his signature black gakuran top on his shoulders. All the students in the hall gasped in fear. A second later, the entire area was empty. As usual, Hibari's very presence was frightening.

"You herbivores are as loud as ever." Hibari had his arms folded across his chest coolly. "If you become a disturbance, I'll bite you to death."

Despite becoming a high-schooler, Hibari was still on the Discipline Committee, and he was as _frightening_ as ever.

"We aren't doing anything wrong, you bastard!" Gokudera retorted.

"Maa, maa, Gokudera!" Yamamoto chucked calmly. "We shouldn't fight today of all days."

"PEACE TO THE EXTREME!"

"You're too loud, Turf Top!"

"What was that, Octopus Head?!"

"I believe you have not heard from the baby yet?" Hibari focused on Yamamoto, the only reasonable one within the current situation. Gokudera began yelling at Ryohei while he continued shouting out how everything was oh-so-extreme.

"Huh? The kid?" Yamamoto blinked. "Uh, I haven't heard anything from him...what is it?"

"The baby wants all of us present at headquarters after school hours."

Gokudera and Ryohei, who were in the middle of attempting to pull each other's skin of their faces, heard Hibari's words, and stopped mid-fight. "Headquarters?" Gokudera led go of Ryohei's cheeks, turning serious. "What for?"

"He didn't say." Hibari replied curtly.

"Maybe he wanted to...you know...?" Yamamoto brought up the fact, but then stopped themselves. His eyes fell to the ground, regretting his words. A dark look also spread across Gokudera and Ryohei's face. Hibari simply scowled and turned abruptly, his jacket swaying behind him.

"Be late and I'll be bite you to death."

With a harsh farewell, Hibari walked away.

* * *

The cloud is aloof, free, and walks its own path.

Hibari hated being bounded. He hated crowds, and he hated feeling as if he were being held back by something.

Which was exactly why he felt like whipping out his tonfas and beating up the nearest herbivore disrupting the peace he diligently maintained.

Why was he, Hibari Kyoya, the Cloud Guardian, so moody? It wasn't like him. But something deep down kept nagging at him like an annoying fly buzzing around his ear, and it greatly irritated him.

"K-Kumo-san!"

The ill-tempered teen whirled around at the soft call of his name. The girl standing behind him squeaked and shrunk back closer to the tall boy beside her with a dark blue pineapple hair-style similar to hers.

"Kufufufufu." Mukuro chuckled, his mismatched eyes twinkling as he sneered at his rival. "It seems that you are quite troubled."

The antisocial guardian's frown deepened. The mist guardian seemed to be enjoy teasing his rival in such a state, but, honestly, Mukuro also wasn't in the greatest of moods. These kinds troublesome situations were one of the many reasons he hated the Mafia.

"Say another word and I'll bite you to death." Hibari held up his tonfas. Ever since Mukuro had been freed from Vendicare, he had started attending Namimori. When questioned, he always answered with the usual chuckle and claimed that he wanted to be closer to Sawada Tsunayoshi so it would be easier to possess him when he had the chance. Yet, now that his main objective was gone, no one knew the real reason why he still remained at the school and didn't transfer back to Kokuyo. Mukuro still wore his green Kokuyo uniform. Hibari had been quite irked by it, since it was against the rules to wear any attire other than the appropriate school uniform, but Mukuro was stubborn. Hibari eventually let it go, maybe respecting Mukuro's dedication to his original school's culture.

"Kufufu, try if you can, skylark-kun." All of a sudden, Mukuro's trident appeared in his hands. He and Hibari took a fighting stance, preparing for one of their typical battles. The students, somewhat used to the two's brawls, weren't too surprised, but still screamed and backed away.

"M-Mukuro-sama! Kumo-san!" Chrome spoke up cautiously, hands clenched close to her chest. "P-Please stop! Now is not the time..."

Chrome had become the "peacemaker" between the two, often stopping their fights before they began. They were especially frequent since the two saw each other much more often.

"Tch." With a click of his tongue, Hibari calmed. Mukuro did the same. The two didn't feel the usual hostile spark between them for some reason. Hibari put his weapons away and looked out the window, shoulders heaving. The clear blue sky was filled with wandering clouds drifting freely in front of the dazzling sun. A few birds flew around here and there. The clouds were there, the sun was there, and the world was peaceful.

But for some reason, the sky seemed so empty.

* * *

The air was heavier than usual at the normally strict Vongola Headquarters.

A melancholic feeling was dragging the mood down, and while most did not know why, certain people did.

One of those certain people was the short baby striding down the hall, his face hidden beneath his black fedora. Reborn made his way down the halls, tiny hands stuffed in the pockets of his pants. He began traveling up the grand staircase that led to the second floor but stopped on a platform midway where sunlight poured in from the large glass window. Reborn looked up at the sun, his poker face barely faltering, as a sad look dawned over his face.

"It's that time of year, huh..." Reborn trailed off, an unknown emotion filling his voice. He was the number one hitman, a strong, powerful man capable of many brilliant things. He was one of the world's strongest people, I Prescelti Sette, the Selective Seven, the Sun Arcobaleno. And yet, just because of one death, he felt so trifled.

_"What is wrong with me?"_ Reborn wondered before continuing his way up the stairs. _"This isn't like me."_

The blue sky stretched far beyond the horizon outside reminded Reborn of a certain no-good student of his. His eyes narrowed, troubled, and forced themselves to tear their gaze away from the window. Reborn collected himself and continued up the stairs.

"Yo!"

Reborn had just made it up to the second floor to find a tall blond, middle-aged man standing before him.

"Are they here?" Reborn asked, and the two continued walking down the halls, side-by-side. "Yeah, they should be in the meeting room." Iemitsu Sawada strode along with his hands in his pockets, while the small arcobaleno walked at a calm but faster pace.

_"This guy..."_ Reborn observed the head of CEDEF from beneath his tipped fedora_._ Reborn found the man to be surprisingly upbeat, despite the date...

_"Not that I mind though."_ Reborn tore his gaze away from the man and looked in front of him as he walked, his mind brewing. _"Besides, this isn't the time for moping."_

It secretly pained Reborn. This time of year, the events that had taken place on the same date as this but in the past, the events that changed everything.

The two stopped in front of a grand set of doors with a golden frame and handles. Embedded on the wood was the Vongola Symbol, strong and proud. Iemitsu reached out and pushed the doors open. With a loud, outstretched creak, the doors pushed inward, letting light pour out from the large, lit room beyond them. Reborn raised his head with a gaze that could not be detected within his large, beady eyes.

_"We will have to move on, no matter what."_

The light faded, revealing a fancy room with dark painted walls. A large, blank monitor hung on the back wall. In front of the monitor was a long, ornate table with eight chairs: seven seated and one empty, the largest one at the head of the table.

_"Sorry, Tsuna. But...even though we have to move on..."_

"Looks like everyone's here." Reborn scanned the room, making sure everyone was present. "Let's get this meeting started.

_"Your death still pains us."_

* * *

**Ryohei: Please leave EXTREMELY awesome reviews!**

**Gokudera: You're too loud, Turf Top!**

**Ryohei: What was that, Octopus Head?!**

**Yamamoto: Maa, maa, calm down, guys!**

**Tsuna: Yeah, cuz Hibari is coming towards us at an amazingly inhuman speed with his tonfas! RUN FOR YOU LIFE!**

**Hibari Biting Herbivores to Death: Part Two :D **

* * *

_**The Corvo Famiglia. They're an ancient, powerful family that's existed almost as long as Vongola and almost as powerful.**_

_**Tsuna...**_

_**Your smile is faltering.**_

_**I feel like something bad is heading our way.**_

_**The sky is always there.**_

_**Next Chapter: The Sky That Will Always Be**_


	3. The Sky That Will Always Be

**Thanks for all the positive feedback! Everyone seems dying to know what happened to Tsuna! But now way in hell am I revealing it right away! Hehehe! Sorry, but that'd ruin all the suspense and just end the story right then and there. So I'll give you some options:**

**a) Tsuna killed himself.**

**b) Tsuna was killed by another family.**

**c) Tsuna was killed by someone VERY close to him.**

**d) ZOMBIE UNICORNS INVADE THE EARTH AND ABDUCTED TSUNA, FORCING HIM TO BECOME THEIR NEW ZOMBIE-CORN KING!**

**(Btw, choice d is a very likely choice)**

**JK!**

**...maybe...mwahahahah!**

**READ AND FIND OUT!**

* * *

Reborn took his place at the head of the table. He sat on the top, feeling it would be wrong to sit in the chair that wasn't rightfully place. The midget crossed his arms over his chest and faced the Vongola Guardians and Iemitsu Sawada with a look that no normal baby would be able to make.

"All right. Let's get started."

"What is with this extreme meeting?!" Ryohei asked in a low volume, though of course, to everyone else, he didn't sound as quiet as he thought he was being.

"Yeah, I thought you told us that nothing big was going on these days, so we could just relax." Gokudera grumbled. The endless days of battling assassins and fighting for his life had made the grumpy boy even grumpier.

"That's what I told you." Reborn admitted. "But, unfortunately, something's come up."

"Something?" Yamamoto repeated curiously. But, being members of the mafia, the guardians knew that this "something" involved some form of assault.

"A new enemy for me to beat to the extreme?!" Ryohei pumped his bandaged fists in the air for the emphasis. Most of the people in the room sighed.

"Well, yes and no." Reborn paused for a moment.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asked Gokudera. As usual, it was difficult to comprehend the strongest of the arcobaleno. Reborn mantained his stoic poker face, but his eyes narrowed in a serious manner.

"A new family has shown up on our radar." Reborn announced.

"Che, another one?" Gokudera leaned back in his chair, arms raised behind his head. He was fed up with all the families picking a bone with the Vongola family. One of the cons of being a member of one of the strongest mafia families ever was that other families constantly bothered you.

"This isn't just any ordinary family." Reborn snapped. Gokudera perked up, slightly more interested, and leaned forward.

"To be honest, this could actually become quite troublesome." This caught the Guardian's attention. If the world's strongest hitman was troubled, then they should be on high alert.

"Troublesome?" Yamamoto cocked his head. "How so?"

"Yesterday, some of our men were attacked." Reborn began. There was a heavy pause in the air, as if Reborn were brooding. A few seconds later, he continued.

"The men were left on the brink of death, but all are still alive and being treated." Reborn noted, but the good news didn't seem to relieve his troubles. "Unfortunately, some were taken hostage by the culprit."

"Who was the culprit?" Gokudera demanded. "What kind of fool dare attack the Vongola?!"

"We aren't sure of his identity." The edge of his tone made the Guardians feel uneasy. "But one of the victims was able to identify a seal on his clothes, and we were able to find the family that man belonged to."

"What family?" Asked Ryohei. Reborn paused again, then turned to look up at the monitor behind him. The dark screen lit up, and an intricate silver emblem appeared on the screen. The middle had a black raven, wings spread wide, and guns pointed outwards on the side.

"The Corvo family." Reborn informed the Vongola Guardians. "They're an ancient, powerful family that's existed almost as long as Vongola and almost as powerful."

"Really?" The laid-back Rain guardian narrowed his eyes, his natural hitman traits surfacing. "Then why have we never heard of them?"

"No way they could be so great if even the great Lambo-san doesn't know of them!" The seven-year old Lightning Guardian let out a hearty laugh. Reborn was starting to regret inviting Lambo to the meeting, but he was still a Guardian. Though he hadn't grown up much over the years, he was slightly taller, and his hair was no longer in its afro-style. It was beginning to flatten and curl like they had all seen on the future Lambo, two little horns curling out the sides of his head. But his personality was still pretty much the same.

"Corvo is an underground family." The Sun Arcobaleno replied. "They prefer to keep low and work beneath others. A shadow family, you may say. Although, we have never really crossed paths, and our two families tend to stay away from each other."

"Then why did one of their members attack us?" Asked Gokudera.

"That's what's troubling me." Reborn brewed. "We haven't even made contact with them, and all of a sudden we're attacked. But the attacker said he wanted to meet Vongola. From what it sounds like, he's trying to get us to come out and fight him, so I'm not a hundred percent sure he attacked us under the orders of his higer-ups. Still, I'd really prefer if we don't enter a conflict with the Corvo Famiglia."

"So, basically, he's picking a fight?" Yamamoto concluded.

"Either way, we don't want any conflicts with that family." Reborn said. "The culprit left a deal for us. If you all go meet him at a certain location, then he'll release the hostages."

"What?!" Ryohei snarled. "Why would he extremely want to meet us?!"

"Like I suggested before, he wants to pick a fight." Reborn said.

"So? What will we do, Arcobaleno?" Mukuro, his usual charismatic smile on his face, asked. "It is most likely some sort of trap."

"Hm," Reborn thought for a moment. Mukuro was right. Maybe the Corvo member wanted to lure them out and ambush them with the help of his family? It all seemed too suspicious. But...

"It'd be wise for you all to go with some men to back you up, but the member of Corvo specifically requested that you seven go alone, or else he'll kill the hostages right on the spot." Reborn mused. But he knew that, despite it the risk, the Guardians' answer was clear. "I take it you all want to save the hostages despite the risk of it being a trap?" Reborn wasn't even sure why he bothered asking. Yamamoto was the first one to answer, smiling warmly. "Of course!"

"YES TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei hollered, bandaged fists pumping in the air. Gokudera clicked his tongue next to him, his long hair swaying besides his face. "I don't give a shit about them, but jyuudaime would've definitely wanted to save them."

A heavy, awkward pause hung in the air at the mention of their absent boss. Gokudera hung his head low, bangs hanging over his face. He had unconciously mentioned Tsuna, and now the entire room was awfully silent. Reborn quickly cut through the quiet, turning his attention to the indifferent Cloud Guardian. He seemed irritated, as expected. Most likely, the head of the Disciplinary committee was having trouble handling the crowded room. It was quite surprising that Hibari hadn't already bitten them all to death for crowding around him.

"What about you, Hibari?" Reborn faced the skylark. "The man requested that all guardians be present."

_"Unfortunately, it means that the stupid cow will have to go as well."_

"I do not crowd with other herbivores." Hibari maintained his aloof attitude. The others were pretty much used to it by now, but even now they found the Cloud guardian to be quite troubling.

"What was that, Hibari?!" Ryohei jumped up, ready to lunge at his fellow guardian, but Yamamoto quickly held him back.

"Why are you so noisy, herbivores?" Hibari sighed, arms crossed. "I don't recall saying no."

"Huh?" Ryohei stopped struggling under Yamamoto's restraint. Yamamoto also looked up, surprised. Everyone in the room's eyes widened. If they didn't know any better, they would've thought that Hibari had just said...yes?

Reborn smirked, completely understanding Hibari's wish to maintain distance. "Very well." The Arcobaleno then turned to Vongola's skilled illusionist pair. "And you, Mukuro?"

"Kufufu." Mukuro chuckled, red eye gleaming. "It disgusts me how affiliated I have become with the rotten mafia. But today, I will make an exception."

Reborn probably knew why, but he left it. Now that the two least cooperative of the guardians had agreed to taking part in the mission, his problems were solved.

"Don't underestimate the Corvo famiglia." Reborn warned them. "They may not be well-known, but they're very strong."

"Hahahaha!" Lambo laughed. "They'll be know match for Lambo-san!"

"Don't worry, kid, we'll be careful." Yamamoto assured him.

"All right, then." Reborn nodded, satisfield. "We need to leave as soon as possible. Meet up in three hours, and you all will head out. Got it?"

"Yeah!"

"All right then, dismissed!"

The Guardians got up and began leaving the room. Reborn hopped down the table and landed swiftly on his feet. Iemitsu, who hadn't said much during the meeting, was still leaning agains the wall, hands in his pockets. He seemed to be lost in thought and most likely hadn't heard much of the meeting that had just taken place.

"Well, that's taken care of." Reborn's voice snapped Iemitsu out of his thoughts. Iemitsu stood straight and grinned. "Yep!"

Iemitsu struggled to stay composed under the strong, beady black eyes holding him down. Iemitsu was obviously troubled. It was the anniversary of his son's death, after all.

_"Tsuna..."_

Iemitsu was a terrible father in his own eyes. He had rarely ever been home, always lying to his family. He hadn't been there for his beloved wife, Nana, or his dear son. And now his son was dead, and his wife was suffering at home, all alone. At first, Iemitsu had stopped by home as often as he could. He even attempted to abandon his duties, but Nana kept assuring him that she was fine. Plus, Reborn was constantly nagging at him, adding a gunshot every now and then as a threat. Finally, Iemitsu focused on work once again, but every chance he got, he though of his deceased son, and his wife crying at home when he wasn't there.

A loud snore interrupted his thoughts. Iemitsu and Reborn looked up to see Lambo fast asleep in his chair, head and arms sprawled across the table.

"Oi!" In the blink of an eye, Reborn had leapt into the air and landed on Lambo's head. The young guardian let out a painful cry, arms flailing, eyes spilling tears. Reborn hopped off of the boy's head and back onto the table.

"Ow!" Lambo wailed, rubbing the bump that had form on his head from the impact of Reborn's feet. "What was that for, Reborn?!"

"Are you heading home?" Reborn asked. He suspected that Nana was most likely mourning at home like Iemitsu. Lambo, along with I-Pin, Bianchi, and Fuuta, would have to be there for her. Lambo, surprisingly, seemed to realize this, from the sad look on his face. He hopped down from his seat.

"No." Lambo replied. "We were all planning to go and visit _him_ after this meeting. We're gonna go before the mission."

Reborn lowered his head ever so slightly, and Iemitsu gritted his teeth.

"But don't worry!" Lambo's face broke out into a cheerful grin. "The great Lambo-san will be back home with Mama soon!"

Reborn was almost surprised by Lambo's faint maturity, though he didn't show it. He simply smirked, his eyes not betraying his cool demeanor.

"You guys wanna come?" Asked Lambo. "We went earlier." Reborn informed the cow child. "Ok, then!" Lambo headed for the door, waving at Reborn and Iemitsu behind him. "I gotta go before the others beat me there! Bye!"

The two watched as the youngest of the Vongola Family Guardians left the room.

"I find it hard to believe that he isn't bawling his eyes out." Reborn spoke, though he wasn't sure of Iemitsu was paying attention. But apparently he was, because he actually responded. "He's holding it in, huh." Iemitsu observed. "Must be painful."

"Heh. You're one to talk." There was no way the strongest of the Arcobaleno wouldn't be able to tell what was going on. And besides, he understood what Iemitsu and Lambo were going through. What everyone was going through.

"Anyway, did you talk to the Ninth?" Iemitsu tilted his head downwards so that he could properly look at the baby. "Yeah." Reborn, on the other hand, had to lean his head back so that he was on eye-level with the adult. "He's looking at the other candidates he had for the position of Vongola Decimo, Xanxus included."

The words sent Iemitsu's lips into a scowl, and he clenched his fists. Reborn also felt deeply frustrated, but there was nothing he could do about it. His student was dead. And his death had left the posistion of the boss of the tenth generation Vongola Family empty, and that meant trouble. Many families had attempted to attack them, thinking that without a boss, Vongola would have weakened significantly. Although true, those who dared to ambush them during their time of grief and strife had clearly underestimated the rest of Vongola. They weren't one of the strongest mafia families in the world for nothing.

Still, Vongola could not continue without their tenth boss. No matter how much it pained them all, they had to search for a new candidate for the role of their boss. The guardians were extremely against it. Even Hibari and Mukuro weren't too pleased about the idea. But they had no choice. They were the guardians of the Vongola Decimo. Their previous Decimo was gone. They had two choices: follow a new boss or abandon their positions as guardians. For now, they were fine with working under the orders of Reborn and Sawada Iemitsu, but the same can't be said for when the knew Tenth is chosen. Reborn could only hope for the best.

"But still, to think that the Corvo Family of all people would attack us." Iemitsu quickly tried to veer their conversation towards a different subject. Reborn was well-aware of what Iemitsu was trying to do, but he honestly wanted to shoot a million holes through his muscular body. He had just reminded Reborn of another major issue currently occuring in their lives. Reborn's face deepened in thought. "Yeah."

The single, large glass window on the back wall of the meeting room revealed the clear blue sky. There were no clouds in sight, and for some unknown reason, it gave off an aura of melancholy despite being so bright and blue. The sunlight casted a shadow over where Reborn stood, as his thoughts began to boil in his head.

_"I have a feeling that something bad is heading our way."_

* * *

Outside the Vongola headquarters, a certain skylark was strolling across the lawn, black top swaying behind him. A small, round yellow bird was perched on his shoulder, seemingly unfazed by the frightening atmosphere his owner brought wherever he went. Hibari was planning on patrolling Namimori some more before meeting up with the others. Plus, he needed to blow off some steam. Just the thought of having to crowd with more annoying herbivores made his blood boil. He was already grumpy today, and he didn't need any more hindrances.

He would have continued walking in his ill-tempered state if a slight movement behind the bushes planted against the walls of the headquarters hadn't rustled the leaves and caught his attention. In an instant, Hibari whipped out his tonfas and lunged. He brought one arm across the bushes, his tonfas swiping through the leaves, and the figure hiding behind the greenery let out a startled shriek as the blunt weapon made contact with his head.

"Ow!" The hidden figure wailed. "That hurt!" A little boy with dark curly hair and small horns sticking out the sides of his head rubbed the spot where Hibari had just hit him. He wore a familiar cow-print shirt and shorts.

"H-How dare you hurt Lambo-san-!" Through his tears, Lambo angrily looked up at the person who had attacked, but froze as soon as his big green eyes met the cold, intimidating gray eyes glaring down at him. The poor Lambo let out a cry of fear and shrunk back as far as he could into the bushes, sobbing. "AHHH! It's the scary demon! Scary, scary, scary!"

Lambo, like everyone else, was scared out of his wits whenever Hibari was around. The fact that he wasn't exactly the bravest person in the world just made the demonic high-schooler even more menacing to him.

Hibari lowered his tonfas. He noted the faint tear streaks embedded in the boy's face, trailing down to his chin. Had the boy been crying in the bushes all alone?

Hibari wasn't exactly a kind person. He didn't care about others and never hesitated to punish those who disrupted the peace of Namimori. And the crying child before him was being awfully loud.

"Ts-Tsuna..."

Lambo's wavering whimper caught Hibari's attention. The child of the Bovino Family wrapped his arms around his bent knees, eyes tearing up. His bottom lip quivered as his face grew wet with tears.

A small spark lit inside Hibari, just barely. The weakling had obviously been trying to keep himself together. He had loved the deceased boss of Vongola dearly and missed him so. Hibari knew very well that the Lightning Guardian was a childish brat who cried often. And yet he chose to hide his tears of sorrow from everyone. Actually, it was pretty amazing that Lambo actually understood the severity of the situation.

Lambo sniffed, his nose beginning for run, his small shoulders shaking as he sobbed. "I-I want to see Tsuna!" He cried out, as if hoping his pleas would reach the sky and bring his beloved older brother back to him. But of course it wouldn't. "He still owes Lambo-san candy! And it's so boring without him!"

Hibari bent down as Lambo continued to cry. Hibird let out a tweet and flapped its feathery wings, lifting into the air.

"You foolish herbivore."

"Eh?" Lambo's crying ceased, eyes widening at the Cloud guardian in front of him. He had never really interacted with Hibari before for two very good reasons: 1) Hibari wasn't interested in socializing, and 2) Hibari was down-right terrifying and made Lambo wet his pants just at the sight of him.

"Are you blind?" Hibari's face remained apathetic, but his voice seemed somewhat softer. "Look up."

Lambo let out a sound of confusion and looked up. All he could see was the pristine sky above his head.

"The sky is always there."

Moist green eyes grew as wide as saucers and wavered. More tears spilled from the edges of Lambo's eyes, and his body shook even more, but he didn't say anything. Hibari waited for a moment in silence, the only sound being the chirping Hibri soaring above them and the hiccups and occasional sniffs coming from Lambo. Hibari was just about to stand when Lambo rubbed his eyes, sucking in the snot dripping from his nose.

"Hehehe." Lambo brought down his arm, revealing a wavering but wide smirk, his face still showing obvious hints of his wails from before. Lambo brought his head down, his pink tongue slipping out from within his mouth. He made a face at Hibari, bring one bottom eyelid down with his finger, his other eye closed mockingly. "What are you talking about, Stupid Hibari? You're so stupid!" Lambo let out a childish, hysterical laugh, but Hibari got the message. The child had actually understood what the aloof Cloud guardian had told him.

"Hn." Hibari stood, causing Lambo to cease his laughing. His smile was soon replaced with a face of fear as Hibari gripped his tonfas, eyes glinting. "You dare insult me, herbivore? I'll bite you to death."

"WAHHHHHH! LAMBO-SAN'S SCARED!" Lambo waved his arms up and down, cowering beneath the prefect's threatening stare. "Don't hurt Lambo-san!"

Lambo had been expecting a good beating, but Hibari simply closed his eyes and turned away with a grunt. Hibird swooped downwards and took its rightful place on top of Hibari's head. Lambo blinked as the skylark began walking away. His face broke out into another grin, and he began running after his fellow guardian.

"Don't leave without me, Stupid Hibari!"

A loud whack and a yelp of pain echoed throughout the forest where the Vongola headquarters was located, sending a flock of birds flying out from the trees, startled.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_"Happy birthday, Chrome!"_

_A certain fluffy-haired boy appeared before the purple-haired girl strolling down the streets. She flinched in surprise, her one visible eye widening._

_"B-Boss!"_

_"S-Sorry, did I startle you?" Tsuna rubbed the back of his head apologetically. Chrome quickly shook her head. "N-No, it's fine, boss!" The quiet illusionist eyed her boss warily. She hesitated, as if unsure she was allowed to speak. She looked down at her feet, then, making up her mind, faced Tsuna. "Um, boss...about my birthday..."_

_"A-Ah, did I get it the date wrong?" Tsuna scratched the side of his face with a small laugh. But his face soon turned into one of horror and exasperation "Don't tell me I actually got the date wrong?!" "Ah, that's not it, boss!" Chrome assured him. "O-Oh." Tsuna let out a sigh of relief._

_"But...how did you know it was my birthday?" Chrome asked timidly. Tsuna eyed the girl, then broke out into a warm smile. "I got Mukuro to tell me. I've never actually gotten to say 'happy birthday' to you before, so I was curious. Ah, sorry, does it bother you?"_

_"N-No..." Chrome's cheeks turned a faint pink, and she lowered her head. She remembered all her past birthdays when her mom was always out due to a new gig while her stepfather worked overseas. They'd by her an expensive present and leave her home alone all day. She would often cry, wanting her parents to actually be present for her birthday, at least once, but they never did._

_**Flashback__**(within a flashback)**__**_

_"O-Oka-san!" A seven year old Nagi called out to her mother, who was heading for the front door of their large mansion. Her mother turned to look at Chrome over her shoulder._

_"U-Um..." Nagi held her hands close to her chest, struggling to speak. "W-When will you be home?"_

_"Who knows." Nagi's mother sighed. "But I'll be out for a long time. There's something for you to eat in the fridge. Heat that up when you get hungry."_

_"Ah, b-but..." Nagi stammered. She flinched as her mother narrowed her eyes and turned on her heel to face her daughter. "What else do you want? Mother's busy, so make it quick!"_

_The harshness in her own mother's heart made her quiver, but Nagi still spoke. "I-I just want to...have my birthday with...mother...and father..."_

_Nagi's mother didn't seem to care about her daughter's bashful persona or wish to simply spend time as a family and retaliated. "Hah?! Didn't I just say I'm very busy?! You're father as well!" Nagi squeezed her eyes shut and shuffled backwards. "Why are you so selfish?!"_

_"I-I'm sorry..." Nag's shaky voice could barely be heard. Tears began to form around the edges of her eyes._

_"If you understand, then start being more considerate!" And with that, her mother left, slamming the door shut behind her. Nagi clenched her fist over her heart, eyes watering. She wanted to have a party with just her mother and father, smiling, laughing, celebrating. She wanted to be happy with them._

_And yet..._

_**End of Flashback__**(within flashback)**__**_

_"H-Hey, Chrome..."_

_"Eh?" Chrome was brought back to the present by the voice of Tsuna. She perked up, noticing that Tsuna had been watching her with worry. "H-Hai, boss?"_

_"Y-You see," Tsuna seemed awkward, like her was having trouble saying what he wanted to say. To most outsiders, it would appear as if he were about to confess, but of course it wasn't the case. "Um, Mukuro told me about...your past birthdays..."_

_"O-Oh..." Cheeks blushing from embarrassment, Chrome averted her boss' gaze._

_"That's why..."_

_"Eh?" Chrome looked up to find a small, wrapped up box in front of her face. It was covered in pink wrapping with a red bow placed on top. Holding the box was Tsuna, hands outstretched, face slightly red. "Um, well...i-it's for you."_

_"B-Boss..." Chrome was stunned. Was it actually...a birthday present? Something that kids got for their birthdays every year? Something she had always yearned for, something that she never got?_

_"H-Here." Tsuna held out the gift further. Chrome lifted her hand slowly, as if wondering if it were an illusion. She gently took the box from Tsuna's hands, gaping at the gift as if it were gold. Tsuna chuckled, then beckoned at his guardian. "Go ahead. Open it."_

_"Ah, hai!" Chrome fumbled with the box. She lifted the top off the box, revealing a shiny metal object resting withing soft red velvet. A gasp escaped Chrome's lips as a long silver necklace was revealed within the box. A long silver chain was piled against the velvet cushion of the box, looping through a small charm in the shape of an owl, wings spread wide. Her purple bangs hung over her face as she stood in silence, cradling the open box in her hands._

_"I-I didn't really know what to buy you," Tsuna tilted his head nervously. "Um, sorry if you don't like it-"_

_Tsuna let out a yelp of surprise as Chrome rushed forward. The next thing he knew, the female mist guardian had her arms around his neck, her face buried into his shoulder._

_"Ah!" Tsuna stumbled backwards. "Ch-Chrome?" His eyes widened as he heard a small sniffle from the girl. "Chrome! Are you all right?!"_

_"I-I'm fine!" Chrome's voice cracked. Tears began to leak from her eyes and stain Tsuna's jacket. "Th-Thank you, boss! I love it! I really love it!"_

_Tsuna's face remained baffled for a moment, but then he smiled, satisfied that Chrome was happy. She was definitely crying tears of joy. "Yeah. Glad you love it."_

_**End of Flashback**_

* * *

Chrome stood in the middle of a sidewalk, hands clenched against her chest. She opened her eyes and brought her hands outwards, palms facing up, to reveal a necklace a sliver own charm attached to the necklace hanging from her neck.

"Boss..." Chrome whispered to herself and curled her nimble fingers around the charm that her boss had given to her on her fourteenth birthday. After she had whole-heartedly thanked him, Tsuna had dragged her to his house, where a subtle but lively surprise party had awaited her. All the Guardians, Hibari excluded, had been there, as well as Kyoko, Haru, and I-Pin. Ken and Chikusa had been there, too, though Ken claimed it was only for Mukuro. Tsuna's mother had whipped up a feast and a delicious birthday cake. Although Chrome wasn't really used to crowds, she had enjoyed every moment and was thankful for everything. Her friends' laughing with her, Mukuro-sama being besides her, and feeling as if she weren't alone.

_"Back when I was little, oka-san and otou-san would never celebrate my birthday with me."_ Chrome remembered her sobbing younger self as she stood at the front door while her mother left for work. _"I felt so lonely. But then, boss...and everyone else..."_

She couldn't take the painful sorrow that overwhelmed her. Liquid condensed within her eyes, but she quickly clenched them shut. She hunched forward, bending her head towards the precious necklace in her hands.

"Boss...!"

"Ah, that's the necklace Tsuna gave you, right?"

Chrome jerked and whirled around at the familiar voice, her tears flying away. Standing behind her was the upbeat Guardian of the Rain, Yamamoto Takeshi. He stood nonchalantly with his arms folded behind his head, giving Chrome his usual smile. Chrome said nothing, keeping her head low. The Rain guardian made her uncomfortable. It wasn't that she disliked him. It was more like his outgoing attitude was too much for her. Chrome had always been shy and introverted since she was young, something her mother despised. The Rain guardian, on the other hand, was friendly and enjoyed interacting with others. Basically, they were exact opposites.

"That was the present he gave you on your birthday, wasn't it?" Yamamoto beamed. "Lucky you! It's amazing that Tsuna could afford something so expensive-looking! Oh, you're heading over there too, right?"

Chrome eyed the guardian warily. Something seemed off about him? Normally, he was always laid-back and lifted everyone's sprits up, no matter what the situation. But now...

"What?" Yamamoto caught the girl observing him carefully. Chrome gasped and looked away. "Is there something on my face?"

Chrome timidly glanced at Yamamoto, unsure of what to say. She had never really interacted with him, not that she did so often with the other guardians. But over the years she had started hanging out with Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei more, as per request of Mukuro for her to make friends. Still, either way, she wasn't close with the Rain guardian.

Suddenly, something inside Chrome clicked. The flaw in the Rain guardian suddenly came to her, and, without thinking, she blurted out.

"You're smile is faltering."

As soon as she spoke, the light drained from Yamamoto's face. Chrome quickly realized what she had said and brought her hands to her mouth, eyes wide. "Ah! I-I'm sorry, Ame-san! I didn't mean it!"

Yamamoto said nothing for a second, eyes shadowing. Chrome swore she saw him grimace, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by a broad smile. "Don't sweat it."

Chrome wanted to run away, but her legs were shaking. She had just insulted the Rain guardian. He wasn't one to get angry easily, but she had been so rude.

"I guess being an illusionist and all, you have a great sense of perception." Yamamoto mused lightly. Chrome wasn't sure what he was saying, but she calmed down a bit. He didn't seem upset...at least by her words.

Yamamoto leaned back, eyes travelling up towards the sky. He craned his neck so that he was resting his head on his hands in a relaxed position. "I'm terrible, aren't I, Chrome?"

"Eh?" His words caught Chrome off guard. She could hear a hint of sadness in his voice. "It's the anniversary of the death of one of my best friend's, and I'm smiling like an idiot as usual." Yamamoto breathed deeply and brought his head back down to look at Chrome. She was again taken aback by the sudden emotion in his bright eyes. "Well, at least I'm trying to, according to you."

She honestly wasn't sure what came over her. Chrome was withdrawn and kept to herself, harboring all her thoughts within her. And yet, for some reason, this rare side of the guardian of Rain she was seeing compelled her to speak up.

"My parents were never home for my birthday."

Yamamoto brought his arms down, astonished that the girl had willingly talked to him. Chrome, standing besides Yamamoto, brought her eyes up, no longer looking down in fear. Her voice was hushed and unstable, but Yamamoto listened intently as she boldly continued. "We lived in a really big house, so it was lonely all by myself. I didn't really care about parties, since I didn't have friends, but I wanted to at least celebrate just once with my family. And then my parents got divorced, and I got a new father. He wasn't that bad, but we never really grew close."

She paused for a moment, unsure whether to keep talking. Yamamoto said nothing, as if waiting for her to resume her story. She accepted his silence and spoke again.

"But that never happened. And then, I'm sure you've heard, I got in a car accident." The memory resurfaced in her mind as she narrated her past out loud. "I could've been saved if I had an organ donor, but...but my mother refused to lend me her organs."

"What?!" Yamamoto exclaimed, horrified. "Why?! She was your mother! Why wouldn't she?!"

"She didn't love me." Chrome reminisced her mother's distant behavior towards her. Her voice began to shake as she recalled her mother's dislike for her. "She said she never understood what I was thinking. I couldn't make friends. I couldn't bond with my new father. And I got into an accident, and she was being asked to be cut open for the sake of her daughter."

"Chrome..." Yamamoto watched as the girl talked. He knew she never really opened herself up to others besides Mukuro and Tsuna(back when he was alive), and maybe the girls, and felt sort of honored to actually be holding a conversation with her.

"That's when Mukuro-sama saved me." This part, Yamamoto knew. A soft pink spread across Chrome's face, and she smiled. "I was really grateful that someone actually needed me. And thanks to him, I got to meet so many people, like Ken, Chikusa, boss, and all of you. It makes me really happy." She gave the necklace in her hands a nostalgic look. "And boss even got me this. He organized a party for me. Everyone did. To be honest, I didn't really care about presents or my birthday. I was just glad that I wasn't alone anymore. I was glad that I was with boss and everyone else."

It took Chrome a few moments to realize that Yamamoto wasn't saying anything. He was staring at her with a incomprehensible expression that drew out her shyness. "I-I'm sorry! I suddenly started rambling..."

Yamamoto broke out into laughter. "It's fine. I'm actually glad that you're finally opening up to me, Chrome. I thought you hated me or something."

"I'm sorry for making you think that way." Chrome apologized sincerely. "Oh, no, it's fine!" Yamamoto waved his hands nicely. He brought his gaze forward, and Chrome could immediately tell he was reminiscing something.

"Oh, you have your pendant on there!" Yamoto caught the golden pendant hanging next to the owl charm on Chrome's neck. She followed his gaze to the jewelry, the symbol of the mist guardian from her ring embedded in the gold. "I have mine, too!" Yamamoto held up an identical pendant from under his shirt, except it had the rain guardian's symbol. With a finger, he flipped open the pendant, revealing a small photo within it. The picture was of the eight members of the Vongola family and Reborn. Yamamoto had been the one who insisted on taking the photo, but Tsuna was the one who put them in necklaces. He had given one to every Guardian as a token of their friendship, similar to how Primo had given his family the pocket watches.

In the photo, Yamamoto's face was frozen with laughter as Gokudera held Lambo in a death grip, pummeling his fist into the boy's hair. Ryohei had his fists up in the air, pumped up as usual. Chrome stood shyly to the side along with Mukuro who wore his usual sinister grin. Next to them stood Hibari, arms crossed, back turned to the camera so that only the side of his face could be seen. It was a miracle that they had been able to get Hibari to take the picture with them, though a few bloody noses and broken bones were made in the process. Standing calmly at the bottom was Reborn, an amused smile on his face as he posed for the camera.

And in the center stood Tsuna, his hair defying gravity, laughing nervously at the chaos going on behind him. No matter how may times the retook the picture, the group somehow broke out into chaos. This picture was the best one they could get. Yamamoto held the pendant dearly, the picture bringing back memories of those much happier times.

"Tsuna's just that kind of guy." Yamamoto claimed. "He was always like that...do you know how Tsuna and I first met?"

Chrome shook her head, curiosity getting the better of her. Yamamoto, glad he had the attention of the young girl, recalled when he had first met his friend. "As you know, Tsuna was often called Dame-Tsuna at school. He had terrible grades and poor athletic grades, definitely not a mafia boss at first glance."

Chrome sweatdropped at how easily Yamamoto said so, though she strongly agreed. Most people wouldn't see Tsuna as the next boss of Vongola.

"One day during PE, we were playing baseball." Said Yamamoto. "No team wanted Tsuna with them, but I convinced my team to let him join us."

As expected as one of the kindest guardians of the Vongola family, Chrome thought.

"But we ended up losing, and our team blamed Tsuna, so he had to stay after and clean up the field." Yamamoto snickered. "I decided to help him."

"At that time, I was having some problems." Yamamoto admitted. "Problems?" Chrome echoed. "I was doubting myself, you see." There it was again. Yamamoto's eyes betrayed what his face was displaying. Such sad eyes on a smiling face. Chrome clenched her owl necklace tightly.

"I was worrying that my baseball abilities were getting worse." Chrome couldn't really believe what he told her, considering that he loved baseball to the point that the guardian of storm often referred to him as as "baseball freak." "I'm the type of person to dedicate everything I've got to something, and at that time, it was baseball. But I was beginning to wonder if my skills were good enough, and it really scared me. While we were cleaning, Tsuna told me that I should just work harder. I later realized he didn't mean it, but I took his advice and practiced after he left. And during that practice, I broke my arm."

Chrome could feel something bad coming in Yamamoto's story, but she kept her mouth shut.

"I pushed myself to far and had to face the consequences." Yamamoto's voice became strained. "Yet, I was too horrified to think straight. I was stupid. So..."

Chrome held her breath, waiting for Yamamoto to continue.

"I tried jumping off the school roof."

Shock overtook her. She was unsure of what to say. To think that the carefree guardian who always smiled and rarely acted serious had been through so much.

"I felt that my life was over, so I thought it wouldn't make a difference to end it with my own hands." Yamamoto seemed to struggle continuing, and Chrome thought about stopping him, but she didn't. She felt that he really wanted to tell her what happened. "But Tsuna came up to try and stop me. I'm pretty sure he felt that it was his fault that I broke my arm, telling me to practice harder. I was pissed, so I said some bad things to him. Yet, he..."

_"Unlike you, I've never put effort into one single thing..."_

"Accidentally, we both ended up falling off the roof." Yamamoto breathed. "Luckily, Tsuna was able to save me in Dying Will Mode, thanks to the kid being there." A laugh broke through the intense sincerity as Yamamoto remembered the time where he had no idea what dangers lied before him. "Though I didn't know anything back then."

"Tsuna...he saved me." Yamamoto said. "He'd save anyone. He cares about others so much that he'd sacrifice his own life for the ones he cares about." His hand reached for the shinai hanging on his back. "And because of that, baseball didn't become my only important thing. I decided that I had to protect all my friends no matter what. In the future, I even chose the sword over baseball." Yamamoto's mout curled to reveal his polished whit teeth. "Though it was only temporary."

"Ame-san..." Chrome mumbled in awe. She was still trying to take in Yamamoto's story, but she nodded. "Yeah. Boss was..._is_ that kind of person."

"Honestly, I keep imagining that Tsuna will come back to life." Yamamoto confessed. "I thought he would miraculously return, just like my dad did in the future."

_"That's right."_ Chrome remembered that his father had been murdered by the Millefiore in the future where they had fought a treacherous battle with Byakuran.

"But that was a miracle." Yamamoto sighed, smiling. "I know things like that can't happen so often. Besides, this is our time. And what happens, happens."

_"This person..."_ Chrome couldn't really form words to describe Yamamoto Takeshi. He smiled and remained optimistic, even when he was hurting on the inside. He'd throw away anything and everything for the sake of his friends, even going so far as to mask his own pain. She recalled when he had given her the mist Vongola Gear while she was under Daemon Spade's control. Even so, he had told her:

_"We'll always be waiting for you!"_

Without realizing it, the words formed on her lips and escaped out from her vocal chords.

"It must hurt."

Apparently, the meaning behind her words greatly affected Yamamoto. The two met eyes, and she could see the surprise brewing in them.

"Thanks, Chrome." Yamamoto's lips bent upwards for the millionth time. "Thanks for listening."

"Ah, you listened to me as well, so," Chrome bent forward in a respective bow. "Thank you, Ame-san!"

"Hahaha! What's with the stiffness?" Yamamoto bellowed heartily. "Don't be so formal! Call me Yamamoto or Takeshi or whatever! Actually, stop calling everyone by their titles. We have names for a reason, you know!"

"Ah, then...Y-Yamamoto-san." Chrome muttered, but Yamamoto heard her clearly and nodded, satisfied. "Now that's more like it! Anyway, we should get going! We don't want to keep the others waiting!"

"Hai!" Chrome followed Yamamoto as the two began walking down the sidewalk. She hastily watched the teen strolling besides her.

_"Boss,"_ She walked forward, eyes set before her. _"Although it'd be much better if you were here with us, you aren't gone."_

A gentle wind blew through her hair, sending a refreshing breeze past her that ruffled her uniform.

_"Because you're here with us, we are able to grow as your family."_

* * *

"Hey, everyone!" Yamamoto strolled towards the gathering guardians smoothly, Chrome close behind him.

"You're late, baseball freak!" Gokudera scolded. The silver-haired teen had a bouquet of fresh flowers in hand. He was tempted to whack the baseball-crazed maniac on the head with them when he noticed Chrome. "Hm? You came with Chrome?"

"Ah, we bumped into each other earlier." Yamamoto explained.

"You sure took you time, my dear Chrome." Chrome stiffened, her face flushed, as she looked up at Mukuro. "S-Sorry, Mukuro-sama!"

"Kufufufu. No matter." Mukuro chuckled. Off on the side, Ryohei looked around, suddenly noticing the absence of two of their guardians.

"Huh? Where's Hibari and Lambo?" Ryohei wondered. The others searched the area, also realizing the Cloud and Lightning Guardian were missing.

"Those bastards!" Gokudera clenched his fist, steaming. "How dare they miss out on something so important!"

"Hibari I can understand, but Lambo...?" Yamamoto questioned the nonattendance of the cow child.

"Whatever." Gokudera "tched" in disapproval. "We have to hurry, so let's just go without them." "But shouldn't we wait for them?" Ryohei said. "They are part of the family, so they should be here."

"Don't worry!" Yamamoto assured his friends. "I'm sure Hibari'll be here later! He just hates crowding! And there's no way Lambo wouldn't come!"

As usual, Yamamoto was the optimist of the group. But for some reason, Chrome seemed to be watching him intently.

"Let's go, then." Gokudera announced.

* * *

The weather was fair that day. The sun shone brightly, as if happy, despite the emotional scene occurring in the graveyard below.

Amid the tall gray stones sticking up from the ground, many surrounded by flowers and other offerings, the Vongola guardians(minus two) crowded in front of a particular gravemarker within the cemetery. A heavy atmosphere weighed down the guardians as they bowed their heads low in respect. Gokudera knelt down in front of the grave and placed the flowers at the foot of the stone, face contorted with grief. Surrounding the foot of the grave were piles of flowers and other gifts.

"Looks like others have beat us here." Yamamoto noted. He recognized a can of tuna besides the grave, immediately thinking of his long-haired, short-tempered mentor.

Gokudera knelt down before the grave and spoke cautiously. "Hello, jyuudaime. It's been awhile."

No answer. But of course there wasn't a reply. Their was no living soul beneath that spot, no warm voice to call out to them. Carved within the stone were two words that they really didn't want to see there.

Sawada Tsunayoshi.

For some reason, Gokudera's throat felt dry. He couldn't get any more words to come out of his mouth. He simply clenched his fists over his knees, expression twisted, filled with regret. An image of a cold, lifeless hand, splatters of red marking the pale skin, flashed in his mind, sending a wave of nausea through him.

_"If you wish for me to stop, then make me!"_

"I'm so sorry for not being able to save you!" His regret came out in a tense whisper.

_"There was so much I didn't do. I didn't even get to...call you by your name..."_

His hand wrapped around the pendant on his neck that looked just like Yamamoto's and Chrome's besides the storm marking.

Gokudera struggled to contain his cries, but was stopped when a hand placed itself on his shoulder. He looked up to find Yamamoto, a gentle smile on his face. "We all are."

"Yamamoto..." For once, Gokudera addressed Yamamoto by his name. He met Yamamoto's eyes, and instantly he felt better. With a brighter expression, he turned back to Tsuna's grave. "We'll continue being the best guardians of Vongola, jyuudaime! We'll work hard so that we can live up to our names as the tenth generation!"

"Yeah!" Yamamoto nodded. Ryohei punched the air in agreement. "We'll extremely work hard as your guardians!"

"Kufufufufu. I will not be dragged down by the mafia, let alone one without my precious target." It was uncertain what exactly Mukuro was trying to say, but he was most likely agreeing with the others. Chrome, on the other hand, softly spoke her mind. "We'll keep on living to make you happy, boss!"

"And that's that." Yamamoto concluded as he and Gokudera stood. "We'll always be your family, Tsuna."

The wind picked up slightly, almost as if the universe were giving the group of friends some sort of response. Yamomoto adressed the other guardians with a positive attitude. "Let's get going, guys! Otherwise the kid'll be mad at us!"

"Let's go!" Ryohei roared. "Later, Sawada!"

Gokudera gave his boss' grave one last, longing look, before following the guardians out of the grave.

_"Just you watch, jyuudaime. We'll make you proud!"_

Soon, the Vongola family was gone. The cemetery was silent. At first appearance, it seemed empty, but no one had noticed the raven-haired prefect leaning a against a tree trunk in the shadows, arms folded. Next to him was a trembling cow child, holding both hands over his mouth and nose to keep himself from making any noise. But now that he was alone with the prefect, he let out a wail.

"Tsuna!" Lambo never seemed to run out of tears. Hibari ignored the bawling youngster and glanced over his shoulder at the grave marker a few yards from where he stood.

_"What a weak herbivore."_ Hibari's eyes barely narrowed, vexed that he was once again being tied town by emotional bonds. Meanwhile, Lambo stumbled over to the grave, a large grape lollipop in hand.

"T-Tsuna can have one of my precious candies!" Lambo placed the lollipop down with all the other offerings, hiccups wracking through his body. "B-Be grateful!"

Lambo hadn't noticed that Hibari had crept up behind him. He turned and shouted in surprise, then attempted to put up a strong face through his messy cries. "Move it, Stupid Hibari! We gotta go play with the others!" And with that, the Lightning guardian ran around Hibari's feet and towards the exit of the graveyard. Hibari didn't note the child's departure. His eyes were glued to the words **"Sawada Tsunayoshi"** on the grave marker. His eyes seemed even more terrorizing as usual, almost as if they could melt the grave right on the spot.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." Hibari's voice dripped with venom, like a predator intimidating its prey. "How dare you have the nerve to die before I could bite you to death."

He wasn't sad that the herbivore was gone. The Vongola boss placed many burdens upon him. Thanks to him, he had to become part of some crowded family and had to deal with all the pestering guardians claiming he was one of them. Sawada Tsunayoshi would often beckon him to join him and his friends for a gathering, but Hibari would always give deal him a good blow with his tonfas and walk away.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was a nuisance. Hibari owed the herbivore, and he preferred paying back debts as soon as possible, but he hadn't been able to. Now he was left with a frustrated feeling of favor, and he hated it.

He stood in quietude, his gakuran flapping up and down behind him. After what felt like hours, he made a small motion to bend downwards, hand outstretched.

"Hibari! What are you doing?!" Lambo called out from outside the graveyard. Hibari stood up straight and began walking towards Lambo, expressionless.

Behind Hibari, in front of all the flowers and tokens of gratitude gathered at the grave, was a single photograph, framed by polished brown wood. Within the picture were eight smiling teens and a small baby.

He had paid the herbivore back.

* * *

**Brabbit1029: Whew! Finally finished! I know the Lambo-Hibari and Yamamoto-Chrome moment was a little out there, but I decided that the guardians should interact with others that they normally don't talk to.**

**Yamamoto: A feature on me and Chrome? Sweet! I look forward to working with you from now on, Chrome!**

**Chrome: H-Hai, Yamamoto-san!**

**Lambo: Be grateful that you got to shine along with the great Lambo-san, Stupid Hibari!**

**Hibari: (brings out tonfas) Hn?!**

**Lambo: WAHHHH! SCARY! STAY AWAY!**

**Brabbit1029: I don't want a another edition in the Hibari's Rampage series, so farewell! Oh, and please review! Follow if you actually like this fanfiction enough to care! Ah, wait, Hibari-san, I said no more rampaging-AHHHH!**

**Hibari: How dare you order me around. I'll bite you to death!**

**Brabbit1029: AHHHHHHH-!**

**~Censored for the Goodness of All the Innocent Children Out There~**

**To be Continued(maybe...)**

* * *

_**We all miss you.**_

_**Tsuna-kun would definitely want us to be happy!**_

_**The Vindice?**_

_**Why hello, Vongola Guardians!**_

_**Who is that guy...?**_

_**Next Chapter: Mysterious Raven**_


	4. Mysterious Raven

**If I don't get enough feedback, I'll most likely stop updating this fanfic...just a heads up!**

* * *

It was a seemingly normal day at the Sawada household. The seven-year old I-Pin had her nose buried in a book at the kitchen table. The young girl had grown up to be a very intelligent and curious child. She had the top grades in her class and worked studiously. But behind her open book, she too note of the empty seat next to her where her childhood friend, Lambo, usually sat.

_"Lambo..."_ She thought. Without the loud cow child, it was too quiet.

"Lambo-chan said he'd be back late, right?" A tall girl with brow hair held up in a ponytail entered the kitchen, a pile of silverware in her hands. The auburn-haired girl at the stove of the kitchen turned and faced the other with a warm smile. "Yeah. He said he was out playing with everyone else."

"We'll just have to prepare a delicious meal for when he gets back, then!" A brown-haired lady beamed.

"Still, I wonder what they're doing." Haru bent down to set utensils and side dishes down on the table. Over the years, she had grown significantly. Her hair was longer, though she still tied it back. She was taller, with a smooth curve in her hips and on her chest. She wore a yellow laced shirt and white shorts over her long legs.

Kyoko had also matured. Her hair reached down over her shoulders, becoming closer to that of her future self that Tsuna had briefly met in the future. She wore a light blue jacket over a white top and a short dark blue skirt. Over her clothes was a white apron, which she wore while stirring a pot of steaming curry in front of her.

Sitting across from I-Pin at the table was Fuuta. Now eleven-years old, he had grown even more than anyone else. Although he still held much of his adorable, childish appearance, his eyes were somewhat softer, more handsome. On the ground next to him was his thick red ranking book.

"That smells nice." In walked Bianchi, Gokudera's older half sister. She hadn't changed much in appearance, though she had grown slightly, and the light in her eyes was much older. This was due to the fact of having to tend to her depressed younger brother after the death of his precious boss. He had been obsessed on find out the truth, why he died, and why he did what he did. He refused to rest or eat. it had taken a great effort to calm the Storm's rampage. Not that he was the only one affected By the Sky's demise.

"We're almost ready." Nana, Tsuna's mother, told Bianchi. The Poison Scorpion sent the woman a sad, worried glance. The woman seemed much frailer, but she till attempted to remain strong, especially after the death of her son. She had sobbed nonstop for days at the time, and she had become physically less active ever since. Still, she welcomed all the freeloaders in her house as her own family, and they all visited her as much as they could to offer support. All the Guardians constantly hung out at the house, as well as the Bucking Horse, Dino, the Enma Family, and others. Even Mukuro and Hibari had visited once, but that was only because Hibari had been summoned by Reborn and Mukuro had heard of the latter's appearance. It was quite difficult to move the two's arguments outside of the house, let alone stop them.

"Is that so?" Bianchi managed a smile. "Need my help?"

"N-No, it's fine!" Haru sweatdropped, remembering the one time she had made the mistake of putting faith in Bianchi's cooking. She had spent hours in the bathroom feeling sick to her stomach. Poison cooking was Bianchi's specialty, after all.

"Ok, then." Bianchi took a seat next to Fuuta, who asked her a question as she sat down. "Are Hayato-nii and the others busy?"

"Seems like it." Bianchi leaned her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her inclined hand. "Don't worry. I'm sure they're all alright."

"I hope so." Haru's expression fell, and her voice became softer. She placed a small spoon at I-Pin's seat. Kyoko abruptly stopped stirring at the stove. The curry boiled loudly as the occupants of the room fell into silence.

"Did they go...to visit Tsuna?" I-Pin placed her book down, forgotten. She gripped the edges of the book's cover, her lip trembling as she spoke. They had all gone earlier, but Tsuna's guardians had been busy, so they didn't have the chance to until now.

"I'm sure they did." Kyoko regained her smile and began ladling thick brown liquid over plates of white rice.

Haru walked over to help Kyoko and Nana give out the food. They gave each person their own plate, along with three for themselves. Everyone struggled to ignore the empty seat on the side of the table. Kyoko and Haru took their seats. In a gesture of prayer, Kyoko put her hands together and bent her head forward.

"I hope you're doing well," The crack in her smile was small and unnoticeable as she whispered. "Tsuna-kun."

Haru, I-Pin, and Fuuta also respectfully closed their eyes in mourning. They were deep into the mood, too deep to notice a certain figure quietly sneak out of the room, besides Bianchi, who barely opened here eyes and watched as the person left the kitchen.

* * *

Nana gently closed the door behind her, a fresh plate of curry in one hand. Just the sight of the room emitted an aura of lamenting. The tidy bed in the corner, the folded clothes sitting on the edge of the mattress, the framed photos of friends standing on the desk piled with papers covered in red pen marks.

Biting her lip, Nana set the plate down on the desk and knelt down besides the bed. She slowly grabbed the folded clothes: an orange and white jacket, a blue shirt, and jeans. The grieving mother buried her face into the clothes. She inhaled the nostalgic scent, the aroma of her son filling her nose and bringing tears to her eyes. She choked down a sob and abruptly placed the clothes back where they belong, her shoulders shaking. She shook her head, exhaled, and stood. She brought the curry over to an open brown cabinet standing against one of the room's walls. Inside the cabinet was a photograph, the light of the room reflecting off the surface, surrounded by flowers and two lit candles.

Nana placed the plate in front of the photo, smoke trailing from the flickering candles. With her legs folded under her, she clasped her fingers together and sat for a moment in silent prayer.

"Tsu-kun..." Nana's voice trembled, but she put on a smile. "It's your favorite sweet curry. I hope you enjoy it."

The sweet boy with soft, gravity-defying hair captured within the brown frame captivated Nana. She gazed into those warm, brown eyes, but not for long. Water soon blurred her vision, and she brought a hand to her mouth to keep a cry from escaping her lips, but wet tears plopped down onto her fingers. She bent forward, unable to contain it any longer. Sobbing as silently as possible, she mouthed a single word into her palm.

"Tsu-kun...!"

Thanks to her cries, Nana didn't notice the crack in the door along with the nineteen-year old Mafiosi and half-sister of the Guardian of Storm , her single eye visible in the opening of the doorway, long pink hair falling over her face as she closed the door shut. The last thing she saw was the picture of the deceased Vongola Decimo inside the room before leaving Nana alone to let out her grief.

* * *

"Che!"

A certain grumpy storm guardian leaned against a long red couch, an angered, impatient scowl on his face. Next to him, Yamamoto gave off his usual bright grin and attempted to calm Gokudera. "Maa, maa, Gokudera. Don't worry. Those two'll be here soon."

"First they were late to our meeting with jyuudaime," Gokudera clenched his fist, as if imagining beating up the two tardy guardians of Vongola. "And now _this_!" He slammed his fist on the glass table in front of him, eyes gleaming. "I'm definitely going to kill those two bastards when they get here!"

"Don't be so impatient, Gokudera." Yamamoto laughed. "It's not like we actually had a set meeting time."

"But we're all here!" Gokudera scanned the room. Ryohei sat in a sofa across from them, and Chrome and Mukuro stood near the doorway. The two had only just arrived, and Yamamoto and Ryohei had to restrain the ticked-off teen before he had attacked the two. "So, why are those two here yet?"

"They weren't here when we went to Sawada." Ryohei noted. "Are they busy?"

"Busy?! When we have a mission?!" Gokudera's anger intensified, and Yamamoto laughed again. "Have some faith in them, Gokudera!"

"Faith?! In those two assholes?!" Although he wasn't sure about Lambo, Gokudera had learned that, after many experiences, Hibari wasn't the most reliable person when it came to groups. The prefect despised crowds and always became irritated whenever it was even mentioned that he was a member of the Vongola Family. "Forget that! Those two dumb-asses, if they even show up here, I'm gonna-"

But the guardian was cut off when a rapid movement suddenly landed a hard blow on his head. With a cry, he toppled to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Ah!" Yamamoto lit up at the sight of a certain raven-haired teen balanced on the windowsill behind Gokudera, gripping his tonfas. "Hibari, you're here!"

"What was that about me being an 'asshole'?" Hibari bitterly emphasized his anger. "I'll bite you to death, herbivore."

"Why you-!" Gokudera sat up, rubbing his throbbing head.

"Do not address me so rudely." Hibari cut him off. Mukuro chuckled in the corner, amused at the sudden appearance of his rival skylark. "Always making flashy appearances as per usual."

"Hn." Only a grunt sounded from the prefect.

"Oh, what about-" Yamamoto was about to ask about the Bovino child when a head of dark curls and big green eyes popped out from behind Hibari's head.

"The great Lambo-san has arrived!" Lambo announced and stood tall, balancing himself on top of Hibari, Hibird chirping besides him on Hibari's shoulder.

"You're late, you brat!" Gokudera was back on his feet. "What was that, Aho-dera?!" Although Lambo's future self referred to Gokudera as Gokudera-shi, he had yet to reach that age.

"How dare you have the nerve to act so snotty after being so late!"

"Where were you guys?" Asked Yamamoto. "And together, at that."

It truly was surprising to see the Guardian of Cloud and the Guardian of Lightning as a pair. Lambo stood proudly on top of his senior. "Kyoya has finally noticed my brilliance, for I-!"

With a grunt, said Hibari tossed the child off his head and on top of Gokudera, who once again fell down with another blow to the head. "Watch your mouth, herbivore."

"Lambo and Hibari, huh?" Yamamoto watched the scene. _"He even called him by his given name..." _Gokudera began berating Lambo for landing on him while Lambo threatened the guardian with his signature pink grenades. "Never saw that coming."

"Excuse me for interrupting," Mukuro spoke up. "But don't we have somewhere to be?"

"Oh, right!" Ryohei got up from his seat. "Let's go, guys!"

"Yeah!"

Hibari, being the loner he was, leaped out of the window he had just entered, though no one, while the other guardians exited through the door like most people would. They had expected the aloof Cloud to have already left, but to their surprise, they found him stand standing in front of a familiar young man with unruly blonde hair wearing a long green coat.

"Bucking Horse!" Gokudera called out to the tenth boss of the Chiavarone Family. Dino looked up at waved at the Vongola. "Yo! It's been awhile, you guys!"

"What are you doing here, Dino?" Yamamoto asked as they approached Dino. He rubbed the back of his head, a look of exasperation on his face. "Ah, well, I came because I left my phone here after a meeting I had with Reborn earlier, and all of a sudden, Kyoya came down from the sky and demanded I fight with him." It explained the fighting stance the battle-crazed prefect was in.

"Why you?! Always wanting to fight!" Gokudera exclaimed.

"I'll bite you to death." Hibari raised his tonfas. His tutor waved his arms in the air, attempting to tame his wild student. "St-Stop it, Kyoya! Now's not the time!"

Hibari ignored his comments and attacked. Dino narrowed his eyes and brought out his whip. He swung it around, prepared to defend himself, when the tail of his whip wrapped around his leg. With a surprised outburst, Dino toppled over.

"Ah, right! His comrades aren't here with him!" Gokudera noted. "How lame." Lambo shook his head in disapproval.

"Now that you mention it, where are Romario and the others?" Yamamoto looked around for the group of men in suits who usually surrounded their boss.

"I only came here to retrieve my phone, so I came here alone." Dino sat up. "Guess that was a mistake, though. I should've considered the fact that Kyoya would be here."

"Hmph." Hibari put away his tonfas, his motivation deflated. "It would not be worth it to bite you to death in this state."

"Hahaha." Dino stood, brushing the dust off his clothes. "You never change, Kyoya."

The Bucking Horse laughed for a bit longer before eyeing the Guardians of Vongola. "So? How are the rest of you doing?"

Yamomoto, sensing the meaning behind Dino's words, replied whole-heartedly. "We're heading out for a mission!"

"Oh, to meet that Corvo guy?" Dino asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Reborn told me earlier." Dino replied. He shoved his hands in his pockets and gave the young teens a comforting smile. "He also told me you all went to see Tsuna."

"Y-Yeah..." Gokudera's strong front wavered. "What of it?"

"Nothing. I went earlier with Reborn." Dino replied with a shrug. "Anyway, you guys should get going, right?"

"Yeah!" Ryohei nodded.

"Later, then, Dino!" Yamamoto waved. With a goodbye, the guardians headed for the car that would drop them off at the Corvo member's requested location.

_"Those kids..."_ Dino watched as the car drove off. _"They're holding it in..."_

Dino bowed his head as a wave of sadness washed over him.

_"Not that I'm any diffferent. After all..."_

With a sigh, he watched as the car continued moving until it was a small speck in the distance.

_"Tsuna is my dear little brother, after all."_

* * *

The car carrying the Guardians of Vongola rolled to a halt in front of a desolate forest. For some reason, the car shook on its wheels, and loud sounds of explosions could be heard from the inside. For a few seconds, the ruckus inside the car ceased, but it was soon disrupted by a sudden _boom_! Fire and smoke burst outwards, tearing the car into pieces.

The man who had been driving the car was sent flying into a tree and landed on a branch with a cry. As the smoke cleared, the figures of the guardians could be seen.

"Why you little-?!" Gokudera coughed, waving away the smoke that dirtied the oxygen. Lambo was sprawled on the ground, eyes distorted. His own explosion had done himself damage. "Wh-What'd you say...aho-dera?" Lambo mumbled. Even in his current situation, he attempted to act tough.

"This is why I despise affiliating myself with such troublesome people." Mukuro, who had brought a blushing Chrome along with him, and Hibari, had safely escaped the explosion. He sighed at the mess the cow child had created. "It is quite agitating."

"Hmph." Hibari also didn't seem to take pleasure in the action of the people who had been labeled as his 'comrades'. As the air cleared, they were able to properly see the debris of metal scraps that had once been their transportation.

"Hahahaha!" Yamamoto stood, his clothes covered in black ash. He looked up at the driver. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah...somehow..." The driver managed to say. As expected of the Vongola Guardians, he thought. They are dangerous.

"There you go!" Ryohei had flown up to the driver, Sun flames propelling him from under his feet. He lifted the driver off the branch and placed him safely on the ground. "That was an EXTREME explosion!"

"Agreed!" Yamamoto said.

"We don't have the time for this!" Gokudera roared.

"Let's get going, then!" Ryohei rested his eyes on the tall mansion sticking out of the trees above. "There's the place that the kidnapper wants us to go to!"

"We have to be careful!" Gokudera laid out his precautions. "It's most likely a trap."

"Yeah, probably!" Leave it to Yamamoto to have no care in the world.

"You will be fine as long as you remember what I said." Mukuro landed on the ground, carrying Chrome bridal style.

And with that, the Guardians began heading towards their new assignment.

* * *

"This place looks like something from a horror movie." With a low whistle, Yamamoto observed the dilapidated house. It's walls were peeling and sagging with mold in certain areas. Some of the windows were shattered and had holes in them. The lawn was outgrown due to the absence of someone to care for it.

"H-How scary..." Lambo trembled.

"Look over there." Mukuro pointed towards an emblem on the worn-out door of the house. The Guardian's noticed the raven engraved in the middle...

"This is Corvo's place?" Gokudera said. "But why would they call us straight to one of their bases?"

"Maybe to surround us on their own home turf?" Ryohei suggested. Yamamoto noticed the flaw in the situation. "But would this really be their base? When it's all worn-out..."

"Hmph." A snark sound sounded from Mukuro, and the guardians attention turned to the illusionist. "It seems that this was a trap after all."

"What?!" Ryohei looked around for any suspicious people, but he couldn't sense an hostility.

"Already?" Yamamoto took note of the fact that something had already gone wrong, though he was used to such problems. "Is it an illusion?"

"Exactly." Mukuro nodded at the Rain guardian.

"It's a strong one." Chrome put in, her eyes closed as she used her senses to examine the illusion. "But not strong enough."

"Exactly, my dear Chrome." Mukuro praised the girl and looked up at the illusion. "It seems that the member of the Corvo Famiglia wishes to shield our eyes from the true scene laid out before us."

"D-Don't tell me the hostages are already dead?!" Gokudera realized in horror. He had considered the fact that the hostages had already been killed, but the Corvo seemed to want a fight with Vongola. Without their source of motive, they wouldn't be able to do so. So why...?

"Fools..."

A sudden voice spoke out of nowhere, putting the Guardian's into immediate defense mode. Gokudera wielded his dynamites, deducing that it wasn't yet time to bring out his Vongola Gear or Box Weapon. Yamamoto wielded his katana, and Ryohei held up his fists. Mukuro and Chrome stood side-by-side, tridents at ready, Mukuro wearing the black glove invented by the Arcobaleno scientist Verde(whom he had once formed an alliance with). Separated farther from the group was Hibari, tonfas flickering with purple cloud flames.

"I would not do something so low as to lure in some delicious meat in such a manner."

"Who's there?!" Gokudera prepared himself for a surprise attack.

"So these are the guardians of Vongola, huh?' The deep male voice speculated. "Not as tough as I expected."

"Show yourself, you coward!" Ryohei yelled out to nowhere in particular, since he couldn't sense the presence of their opponent. A small chuckle echoed within their ears as the voice continued. "Don't worry, guardian of the Sun. I am also itching to fight." A sigh was made before the enemy continued. "But, unfortunately, it seems that this fight won't last very long."

"That's right!" Gokudera's ring lit with red Storm flames. He inserted his flame into the box around his belt, and out came his Vongola Gear. He aimed his weapon up above the forest, flames igniting from the end. "We'll put an end to this quickly!"

"Sistema C.A.I.!" Gokudera yelled and fired. "Flame Arrow!" Storm flames shot out of Gokudera's box weapon and crashed into some sort of invisible wall. The air around the shot wavered, then solidified. The flames evaporated as soon as they hit the illusion cage.

"Che!" Gokudera clicked his tongue, frustrated that his attack had not made it through.

"How naive." The enemy scorned. "Is this all you've got,"

A glint appeared in the shadows of the trees.

"Vongola?!"

A torrent of daggers and arrows shot towards them at a rapid speed.

"Hmph. A stupid trick like this won't-" Gokudera announced confidently, but he stopped when the weapons suddenly vanished.

_"Dammit!"_

A long row of chains stretched outwards and whipped the air in front of Gokudera. Hibari blocked all the invisible attacks, having extracted the chains from the ends of his tonfas. The weapons all clattered to the ground.

"The strongest guardian of Vongola, huh?" The perpetrator recognized the prefect. "Seems like this'll be a lot of fun!"

As soon as the enemy said so, more arrows and daggers appeared in the air, having multiplied in size and number. Each was now coated by both blue and green flames.

"That's," Yamamoto spotted the two elements. "Mist and Lightning flames?!"

"This bastard can wield more than one element like me?!" Gokudera looked down at the five rings all lit with different colored flames on his hand.

"Don't think you're the only special one!" The opponent sounded gleeful. At his command, the weapons flew towards them again, disappearing as soon as they dove downwards.

Yamamoto lifted his sword, and in one motion, sent a wave of Rain flames following his sword as he slashed it through the air.

"We won't be beaten so easily!"

"It is about time you stop this pathetic little magic show." Mukuro had grown bored of the weak illusions and was dying to meet their enemy in person.

"Magic show? How hurtful." The voice cooed with fake hurt. "After I prepared all this just for you."

"Is that so?" Mukuro raised an eyebrow.

"While it is true that you all wield much more offensive power than I do," The villain admitted. "I have already won this battle."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ryohei inquired. Something wasn't right...

"You foolish idiots." The voice cackled. "You've been tricked from the moment you left your own territory! You walked into my hands the moment you set out to meet me!"

"What?" Yamamoto barely deflected another set of arrows, having been distracted by the enemy's words.

"From the moment we left Vongola headquarters," The Guardian's heads turned to the pineapple-haired mist guardian. "We have been within this man's illusions."

"What?!" Gokudera's eyes widened. "But how come it's so weak now-"

"He did so on purpose." Mukuro blatantly explained. "He wanted to keep us unaware of his motives until the right time, so he kept his illusions strong until this very moment. He lowered his guard in order for us to notice him on purpose."

"If you knew, then why didn't you tell us earlier?!" Gokudera was answered with a sinister "Kufufufu." "We had to meet this man face-to-face. He wouldn't have shown himself had we not followed with his plans. Besides, he isn't just an amateur. I wasn't absolutely sure what his plan was, so I waited."

"Oh~? How perceptive of you, Rokudo Mukuro." The mystery Mafiosi didn't seem affected by Mukuro's revelations. "You see, I really love watching such pathetic pests running around within my cage. Still, you truly are gifted to be able to detect my illusions."

"That half-hearted attempt at an illusion was nothing." Mukuro held his ground.

"Again, you offend me." The speaker seemed to be pouting. "Well, no matter. As punishment for insulting me, I'll kill you right here and now."

"Such arrogant words." Mukuro snickered. "Do you think you can fool me with such poor abilities in comparison to mine?"

"You truly are strong, Rokudo Mukuro." The tone in the man's voice indicated he was plotting something. Mukuro narrowed his eyes at this. "But not strong enough."

Mukuro's eyes widened as sudden pain filled his chest. He staggered backwards, retching blood from inside his body and onto the floor. He looked down at his source of pain. "This is...!"

"Mukuro-sama!" Chrome shrieked. Stabbed straight through Mukuro's heart was a long lightning flame, crackling even as it stuck out of Mukuro's body.

"Mukuro-sa-!" Chrome repeated, but she also stopped abruptly.

"Chrome!" Yamamoto ran towards the girl. A lightning flame stuck out from her back as she bent forward in pain. Panicking, he searched the area for the origin of the attacks. "Where are they coming from?!"

"Agh!"

"Senpai!" Yamamoto shouted, but it was too late. His upperclassmen had already been hit by green flames, and he coughed up bright red liquid.

"Shit!" Gokudera constantly shifted the aim of his weapon. "Where the hell is this guy?!"

"He's around here somewhere!" Yamomoto announced. "I can sense that much, but-" For some reason, he could no longer speak. His breathing became rapid, and the beating of his heart pounded in his ears.

"Ya-Yamamoto!" It was too fast for Gokudera to react. Yamamoto had already been hit.

_"Let's...see here..."_ Yamamoto sharpened his vision around the flame sticking out from his stomach, struggling to stay standing like the others. The weapon seemed like normal lightning flames, and Yamamoto was about to give up, but he barely noticed a thin layer of blue outlining the lightning. Realization struck him, and Yamamoto raggedly shouted to his uninjured friends.

"It's mist flames! The lightning flames are being coated with mist flames so we can't detect them!"

The technique was similar to Gokudera's. He squinted and was able to make out the faint blue surrounding the lightning flames.

"If he's using the same tactics as I do, then I won't lose!" Gokudera raised his weapon. The only ones who hadn't been hit were him, Hibari, and the cowering Lambo clinging to his pants. Although Gokudera wanted to tell the brat to get lost, he couldn't. Any moment now, their opponent would hit one of them. He couldn't risk letting Lambo fend for himself.

"Oi, Hibari!" An idea formed in his mind, and he addressed the Cloud guardian. "Do you think you can get Roll to multiply so his spikes can break this illusion before we get hit?!"

"Hmph." Hibari brought his arm forward, swinging multiple handcuffs around his fingers that destroyed the oncoming weapons. "Do not order me around, herbivore."

"You bastard-!"

"Do not talk to me in such a manner." But Hibari complied and inserted his ring into his box. With a shrill cry, a purple hedgehog flew out of the box, floating in the air, sharp spikes protruding from its back.

"Let's go, Roll." Hibari commanded his Box Animal. "Pupiii!" Obeyingly, Roll began to expand, and soon Hibari's infamous technique began growing and multiplying, filling up the illusionary space. Gokudera box weapon shields **(AN: don't know what they're called, sorry)** protected the Guardians, standing and unconscious, from the expanding spike balls.

"Eh? So these are box weapons?" The Corvo member mused. "What an interesting toy."

"But..."

"Wha-?!"

"Did you really think that would work?"

Gokudera gasped, and he found himself back-to-back with Hibari, who had also stiffened. Below them, Lambo screamed, piercing their ears as they felt something warm seeping through the chest.

"N-No way..." The shields created by Gokudera's box weapon were shattered. And sticking right through Gokudera, into Hibari's back, and out of his chest, were mist-coated lightning flames in not only one, but three spikes. Lambo fell forward, green flames also injected in his back.

"My illusion wasn't the only thing that I prepared beforehand." The Corvo member revealed. "I had these flames injected into you all ever since you left you stepped out of your headquarters."

"That's..." Gokudera's face paled. The flames evaporated, and he and Hibari collapsed, blood pooling around their wounds and spreading around them onto the grass.

"Why was this so easy?" The perpetrator wondered out loud, sounding slightly disappointed. "I expected Vongola to be much stronger than this. I guess the rumors of their overwhelming strength was just a lie. Whatever."

The flames dissolved, and Gokudera and Hibari both collapsed, having fallen along with the rest of the guardians. The hidden Corvo member's voice laughed victoriously, overjoyed by the sight of the fallen members of Vongola.

"Farewell, Vongola Guardians."

* * *

**Did they die?! Did they really die?! Have our favorite guardians been defeated? DID OUR BELOVED PROTAGONISTS ACTUALLY DIE?!  
**

**They're Vongola. I'm sure you all know the answer to this question.**

**If this is too much of a cliffhanger for you, then my apologies. Well, you'll just have to keep reading, right?**

**Next Chapter: Unmistakable Eyes**


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